I Just Wanna Be With You

Chpt. 12: On The Map

A few months had gone by, and at this point, he was about to star in the dance for the local schools. The college he went to included. 

Every other dancer had began to improve a lot during the time that they practiced. 

Percy was trying to calm down the others, who were beginning to panic for dancing in front of all of the others. They hadn't danced in front of anyone. 

Ms. Ruby grinned as she nodded and gave him the thumbs up from the other side of the stage. 

Curtains were about to rise. 

Percy had a hard time calming Avery down, but after a few minutes, he managed. 

Getting into position, he twisted his arms, staring into the sky, frozen, as did the others. 

The curtains rose. 

Slowly, he lowered his arms, straightening his form. 

"This is the story of the Lost Warriors. We rise to fight for what we believe in. We don't run from fear--we stay and fight. Even if we lose it all." 

Getting into place again, he felt a smile coming onto his face. 

And they began to dance, partner versus partner, Percy versus Rachel when it came to dancing. Nearing the end, they began to resume their positions. And the partners fel back into each other's embrace. 

Percy and Rachel fell apart, Percy falling dramatically to the floor, holding his shoulder as if he had been hit. Rachel fell to the ground, tears falling, knees pulled to her chest. Slowly, Avery walked over, poking him with her foot. As the directions went, he grabbed her ankle, pulling her down and tripping her, but caught her before she could get hurt. Alexia ran over, prying him away, fighting viciously, and he had actually been kicked once or twice. 

As the instructions went, she pushed him hard, and he fell off of the stage, landing with a thud. But, much to everyone's horror, his leg cramped as he fell, and the prosthetic part began to make his leg throb. 

Abel and Cedric jumped down, pulling him out of view, leaving the others to finish the act. 

~~

Percy was taken to the hospital in an ambulance. His leg, the one with the prosthetic, had cramped up a lot due to the amount of pressure he had been putting on it as of late. It had been overworked. And that's why it was cramping. 

The muscles in his upper thigh were strained, and some were torn. The doctor said to stay off of his leg for a month or so, giving it time to rest and repair. Percy was heartbroken. He couldn't dance now. That was his only thing...

Laying in his hospital bed, he could imagine it vividly. 'Rising dancer's chance at success cut short by a few inches'. The thought upset him a lot. 

There was a knock on his door. Derek walked in, frowning as he sat down on Percy's bed. 

"Ms. Ruby had to call your parents. To inform them of what happened. It's protocol." 

Percy felt tears forming. 

"They're on their way," Derek said quietly, lips pursed. 

Percy looked out the window. After having one mental breakdown that essentially changed his entire life course, he wasn't thrilled knowing there was a change it would happen again. 

"Don't run this time. Please," Derek mumbled, eyes on him. "I don't want to see a repeat of it." 

Percy was silent. He couldn't deal with it all. Not with knowing he wouldn't be able to dance, or walk, he'd have to see those that he hadn't spoken to in ages.